IVAN DAWSON PRIMARY SCHOOL RAIN GARDEN

WHAT'S A RAIN GARDEN?

Rain gardens are shallow, man-made depressions that are planted with deep-rooted native plants and grasses. They are strategically placed to capture runoff from paved areas like driveways, parking areas, sidewalks or streets. Rain gardens fill with a few inches of water after a storm and slowly seeps into the surrounding soil, rather than running off to flood or erode streets or drainage channels.

Rain gardens are not only highly functional but provide habitat for species such as birds and butterflies but also provides residents and business owners with a beautiful landscape.

We proved they work.

During the August 2017 flooding event, over 9 inches of rain fell in Cane Garden Bay within a 24-hr period. *This rain garden (total cost: less than $5k) was more effective in reducing stormwater than the $100,000 drainage system that was put in place years ago.

Flooding before the rain garden existed.

Rain garden during the August floods.

Continued and unprecedented flooding in October 2017.

Rain garden after the August floods.

Photo taken 9 Sept. 2017, 3 days after hurricane Irma. Plants were a bit beaten up but most were still standing.

Rain garden in mid-October 2018.

* Peak rainfall intensity during the Aug. 2017 floods was 73.16mm/hr. This compares to 69.6 mm/hr in the 2010 flood and 47.88 mm in the 2003 flood. In other words, there was a lot of rain in a very short period of time.

Where pooling water contributes to flooding, erosion and sedimentation, a rain garden can be created.

The Ivan Dawson Primary School Rain Garden is a demonstration project in the Cane Garden Bay area to show how residents and business owners can capture storm water runoff from impermeable areas and retain it on their properties. Removing runoff from the neighbourhood road network helps to reduce flooding, erosion and sedimentation that is negatively impacting our nearshore coral reefs. ​